{{eventsitem| Just So Fest, [[Cheshire]] |16-18 Aug 2013| The Just So Festival is a boutique, weekend-long festival of creativity aimed at children, young people and their families. The festival provides a magical experience where art, music and literature are embedded and entwined in a beautiful and wonderous landscape. You will enjoy broad range of musical, theatrical, visual and aural performances, workshops and installations within a safe, natural and magical setting. [http://www.justsofestival.org.uk/] }}

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{{eventsitem| The Big Feastival, Kingham, [[Oxfordshire]] |31 Aug- 1 Sept 2013| Jamie Oliver and Alex James present The Big Feastival, a unique two-day celebration of music, food and fun for all the family, set on Alex’s idyllic Cotswolds farm. Enjoy music from top acts, tuck into top chef demos in the Big Kitchen and have your fill from The Menu, featuring the cream of the UK’s street food crop. Browse local producer stands, join a cookery class or get your foodie fix joining top chefs for intimate Q&A sessions. Keep little and big kids happy in the fun-filled Little Dudes Den, join an arts & crafts workshop, enjoy the Big Top games or take a spin round the vintage funfair. [http://www.jamieoliver.com/thebigfeastival/feastival-info/] }}

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==July==

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==June==

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{{eventsitem| [[Liverpool]]'s Mersey River Festival|7-9 Jun 2013| Half a dozen Tall Ships will grace the River Mersey as Liverpool becomes one of the host ports for the Irish Sea Fleet, Maritime Tour 2013. The weekend will not only see ships from [[Ireland]], but also from [[Denmark]], [[France]] and [[Belgium]]. The waterfront will come alive with aerobatic displays from Russian aircrafts, stunning live street theatre, wake boarders and a canoe polo tournament. There is also an international flavour to the weekend as a World Music Stage will be set up at the Pier Head playing authentic African, Indian and Arabic music and dance for all to enjoy. [http://www.visitliverpool.com/whats-on/search/mersey-river-festival-p337231]}}

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{{eventsitem| Meadows in the Mountains , [[Bulgaria]] |7-9 Jun 2013| Meadows in the Mountains and its Rhodopian Mountain setting on the Bulgarian border of Greece promise sublime vistas and a vibe that's been described as 'wild and romantic'. The festival's focus is dance music, but there are also things going on for arts and literature lovers. [http://www.meadowsinthemountains.com/]}}

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{{eventsitem| The Midnight Sun Film Festival, [[Finland]] |12-16 Jun 2013| The Midnight Sun Film Festival in [[Sodankylä]], [[Finland]], held during the 'white nights', is a five-day-and-night celebration of new cinema. [http://www.msfilmfestival.fi/index.php/en/]}}

{{eventsitem| Dragon Boat Festival|12 Jun 2013| The fifth day of the fifth moon of the lunar calendar is the day the Chinese celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival or Double Fifth Festival! The festival combines traditional elements of a religious occasion with the drama and glory of a sporting event. The event takes place every year in [[Hong Kong]]. [http://www.journeymart.com/holidays-ideas/festivals/dragon-boat-festival.aspx]}}

{{eventsitem| Whale Shark Festival, [[Isla Mujeres]], [[Mexico]] |12-16 Jun 2013|Tons of fun await visitors to [[Cancun]] and [[Isla Mujeres]], [[Mexico]], when the sixth annual Whale Shark Festival gets underway. The event, rescheduled from July to June 21-23, celebrates the bus-size creatures, which range from 15 to 50 feet and weigh up to 15 tons. More than 1,400 of the giant sharks — considered the biggest fish in the sea — pass through the waters near Isla Mujeres during the season, which runs May through September. The main activity during the event is swimming with the whale sharks, called dominoes locally. Luckily they aren't meat eaters. According to a scientific tracking project, the animals move between Central America, Mexico and southern U.S. waters, driven more by the availability of food than by a strictly defined migratory route. [http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-mexico-whale-shark-festival-cancun-isla-mujeres-20130610,0,5584988.story]}}

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{{eventsitem| 55th International Art Exhibition, [[Venice]]|1 Jun- 24 Nov 2013| The title chosen by curator Massimiliano Gioni for the 55th International Art Exhibition is Il Palazzo Enciclopedico / The Encyclopedic Palace. Massimiliano Gioni introduced the choice of theme evoking the Italo-American self-taught artist Marino Auriti who “on November 16, 1955 filed a design with the US Patent office depicting his Palazzo Enciclopedico (The Encyclopedic Palace), an imaginary museum that was meant to house all worldly knowledge, bringing together the greatest discoveries of the human race, from the wheel to the satellite. Auriti’s plan was never carried out, of course, but the dream of universal, all-embracing knowledge crops up throughout history, as one that eccentrics like Auriti share with many other artists, writers, scientists, and prophets who have tried - often in vain - to fashion an image of the world that will capture its infinite variety and richness." [http://www.labiennale.org/en/art/exhibition/]}}

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{{eventsitem| SAIL Den Helder, [[Netherlands]] | 20- 23 Jun 2013| On Thursday the many Tall ships will arrive again in [[Den Helder]]. From the Sedov from [[Russia]] to the Sagres III from [[Portugal]], they will all be there. Many of the vessels can be visited during those days and there will be many activities in and around the port of [[Den Helder]] full program [http://www.saildenhelder.nl]}}

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==May==

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{{eventsitem| [[El Rocio]] Pilgrimage |16-20 May 2013| More than a million people and close to one hundred different brotherhoods enjoy the wonderful festive atmosphere of this pilgrimage to the village of [[El Rocio]]. The celebration combines religion and fiesta, and is held 50 days after Easter. Hundreds of thousands of people come from all over [[Spain]], and even abroad, to make this annual pilgrimage to the Blanca Paloma Shrine in the village of El Rocío, 17 kilometres from the town of [[Almont]]e (Huelva province). [http://www.spain.info/en_US/vive/fiestas/huelva/romeria_del_rocio.html]}}

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{{eventsitem| [[Copenhagen]] Carnival |18 May 2013| Every year, they have a big Carnival in Copenhagen. It's kind of a small scale version of the big ones they have in Rio and other areas. Whereas most Carnival's have religious significance, the one in Denmark has become a festival for World Music. }}

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{{eventsitem| [[Czech]] Beer Festival |18 May- 1 Jun 2013| The Czech Beer Festival in Prague is the largest gastronomic event in the Czech Republic, with seating for up to 10,000 visitors on long benches inside marquees. Sample 70 brands of Czech beer, sourced from large breweries, regional breweries and micro-breweries. Live bands entertain. [http://www.pragueexperience.com/events/events.asp] }}

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[[File:Bay to breakers.jpg|thumb|300px| House parties are present along the course.]]

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{{eventsitem| Bay to Breakers, [[San Francisco]]|19 May 2013| The 102-year old Bay to Breakers 12K is one of the world’s largest and oldest footraces held annually in San Francisco. The name reflects the traditional course, which takes tens of thousands of participants from the northeast end of the downtown area near The Embarcadero (the "bay" side of the city) to the west end of the city and the "breakers" of Ocean Beach. World-class athletes compete and “fun-loving” folks flood the streets clad in everything from outrageous costumes to birthday suits—earning Bay to Breakers a reputation as the Mardi Gras of the West. Bay 2 Breakers began in 1912 to help locals get over the devastating San Fran earthquake of 1906. Almost 100 years later Bay-Breakers is the longest running footrace in the world. [http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/events/bay-to-breakers-2013.html] }}

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{{eventsitem| Vivid [[Sydney]] Festival |24 May- 10 Jun 2013| Vivid Sydney Festival is the largest international music and light show in the Asia-Pacific region that promises to enthrall the senses of all visitors and locals. The festival of light, music, art and ideas, Vivid Sydney Festival, transforms the city of Australia into a vibrant creative hub each year attracting thousands of visitors from all over the globe. The festival is designed to showcase the entire city as one big living canvas that runs from Hyde Park through Macquarie Street, Sydney Opera House and Circular Bay. Darling Harbour too is added in the list to host a few Vivid events. [http://www.journeymart.com/holidays-ideas/festivals/vivid-sydney-festival.aspx] }}

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==April==

==April==

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[[File:Feria de Abril.PNG|thumb|right| Women in Flamenco dresses at the April Fair.]]

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{{eventsitem| [[Seville]] April Fair (Feria de Abril)|15-21 Apr 2013| A release after the somberness of ''Semana Santa''. To say this is a huge party is an understatement. Most if not all of Seville takes a weeks holiday and they plan for the Fair months in advance. The fair is close to the river and covers a huge area and contains hundreds of private and public "casetas" which are laid out to form streets. Casetas are small marquees and you can only get into the private ones if invited. The public ones are large but just as much fun. The day is naturally split in two and between noon and 8PM the streets of the fair throng with horses as riders and carriages strut their stuff dressed in traditional Spanish robes. After 8 the streets are cleared and "Calle del Inferno" comes to life which is one of the best funfairs in Europe. The Fair appeals to everything that's great about Spain - Traditional dress,Flamenco dancing, guitars, Fino, great tapas and men, women and children who dance with gusto and eat and drink the day and night away. [http://wikitravel.org/en/Seville#Do] }}

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[[File:Madurai The City of Temples.jpg| thumb| 300px| [[Madurai]] The City of Temples]]

[[File:Madurai The City of Temples.jpg| thumb| 300px| [[Madurai]] The City of Temples]]

{{eventsitem|Chithrai Festival, [[Madurai]], [[India]] | 14 Apr 2013| Millions pour into the city for the carnival, during the Hindu month of Chithrai. The main events are:

{{eventsitem|Chithrai Festival, [[Madurai]], [[India]] | 14 Apr 2013| Millions pour into the city for the carnival, during the Hindu month of Chithrai. The main events are:

{{eventsitem| Rijksmuseum set for grand reopening in [[Amsterdam]]|13 Apr 2013| The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Rembrandt, Vermeer and other Dutch Golden Age masters, has been closed for a decade. Housed in an eccentric building designed by Pierre Cuypers, it closed in 2003 for a makeover. On 13 Apr the Rijksmuseum is finally set to reopen to the public, after a renovation that took five years longer than expected and cost nearly $500 million, tens of millions over its original budget. [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/amsterdams-rijksmuseum-to-reopen-after-375-million-revamp-with-rembrandt-pride-of-place-8559428.html] }}

{{eventsitem| Butterfly Jungle exhibit, [[San Diego]] Zoo| 9 Apr- 8 May 2013| During this yearly event guests will be completely immersed by thousands of butterflies as they walk through the Zoo Safari Park’s Hidden Jungle aviary. The 30 species of butterflies highlighted this year will hail from [[Africa]], [[Asia]] and Central and South [[America]] and include the zebra longwing, orange-barred tiger and Grecian shoemaker. [http://media.sandiegozoo.org/2013/03/01/butterfly-jungle-on-its-way/] }}

{{eventsitem| Butterfly Jungle exhibit, [[San Diego]] Zoo| 9 Apr- 8 May 2013| During this yearly event guests will be completely immersed by thousands of butterflies as they walk through the Zoo Safari Park’s Hidden Jungle aviary. The 30 species of butterflies highlighted this year will hail from [[Africa]], [[Asia]] and Central and South [[America]] and include the zebra longwing, orange-barred tiger and Grecian shoemaker. [http://media.sandiegozoo.org/2013/03/01/butterfly-jungle-on-its-way/] }}

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{{eventsitem| [[Hue]] Festival, [[Vietnam]]|7-15 Apr 2013| The Hue Festival is an extraordinary cultural extravaganza of Vietnam which involves a collection of events and activities. The festival attracts millions of visitors every year making it an ideal platform for a grand social milieu. Some of its art and cultural activities are traditional concerts, dance and theatrical performances, art and calligraphy exhibitions, games, and special tour programmes to close by sites for tourists. One of the old traditions of Vietnam is ‘Kite flying’, which has been rejuvenated in the Hue Festival. Traditional kites of intricate shapes and designs fly in the sky, making the Hue City beautiful and joyful. Some people visit temples and make offerings, where traditional dances are also performed. The Hue Festival more often concludes with fireworks show. [http://www.journeymart.com/holidays-ideas/festivals/hue-festival-vietnam.aspx] }}

Revision as of 22:02, 28 June 2013

This is Wikitravel's Current and upcoming events section about events, festivals, holidays that are happening around the world. For yearly calendar of events please look here.

Please feel free to edit or add to Events News items below. For instructions on how to use the Eventsitem template or how to add events items to the Main Page, please see Wikitravel:How to add travel news (the instructions are the same as for Travel News).

Future

The news items in this section refer to future events and have not been displayed on the Main Page yet. They should be copied there when the date approaches and then shifted to the monthly archives below.

Current and past

August

The Just So Festival is a boutique, weekend-long festival of creativity aimed at children, young people and their families. The festival provides a magical experience where art, music and literature are embedded and entwined in a beautiful and wonderous landscape. You will enjoy broad range of musical, theatrical, visual and aural performances, workshops and installations within a safe, natural and magical setting. [1]

Jamie Oliver and Alex James present The Big Feastival, a unique two-day celebration of music, food and fun for all the family, set on Alex’s idyllic Cotswolds farm. Enjoy music from top acts, tuck into top chef demos in the Big Kitchen and have your fill from The Menu, featuring the cream of the UK’s street food crop. Browse local producer stands, join a cookery class or get your foodie fix joining top chefs for intimate Q&A sessions. Keep little and big kids happy in the fun-filled Little Dudes Den, join an arts & crafts workshop, enjoy the Big Top games or take a spin round the vintage funfair. [2]

July

June

Half a dozen Tall Ships will grace the River Mersey as Liverpool becomes one of the host ports for the Irish Sea Fleet, Maritime Tour 2013. The weekend will not only see ships from Ireland, but also from Denmark, France and Belgium. The waterfront will come alive with aerobatic displays from Russian aircrafts, stunning live street theatre, wake boarders and a canoe polo tournament. There is also an international flavour to the weekend as a World Music Stage will be set up at the Pier Head playing authentic African, Indian and Arabic music and dance for all to enjoy. [3]

Meadows in the Mountains and its Rhodopian Mountain setting on the Bulgarian border of Greece promise sublime vistas and a vibe that's been described as 'wild and romantic'. The festival's focus is dance music, but there are also things going on for arts and literature lovers. [4]

The Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä, Finland, held during the 'white nights', is a five-day-and-night celebration of new cinema. [5]

Dragon Boat Racing, Tuen Ng Festival

Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Festival

12 Jun 2013

The fifth day of the fifth moon of the lunar calendar is the day the Chinese celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival or Double Fifth Festival! The festival combines traditional elements of a religious occasion with the drama and glory of a sporting event. The event takes place every year in Hong Kong. [6]

Tons of fun await visitors to Cancun and Isla Mujeres, Mexico, when the sixth annual Whale Shark Festival gets underway. The event, rescheduled from July to June 21-23, celebrates the bus-size creatures, which range from 15 to 50 feet and weigh up to 15 tons. More than 1,400 of the giant sharks — considered the biggest fish in the sea — pass through the waters near Isla Mujeres during the season, which runs May through September. The main activity during the event is swimming with the whale sharks, called dominoes locally. Luckily they aren't meat eaters. According to a scientific tracking project, the animals move between Central America, Mexico and southern U.S. waters, driven more by the availability of food than by a strictly defined migratory route. [7]

The title chosen by curator Massimiliano Gioni for the 55th International Art Exhibition is Il Palazzo Enciclopedico / The Encyclopedic Palace. Massimiliano Gioni introduced the choice of theme evoking the Italo-American self-taught artist Marino Auriti who “on November 16, 1955 filed a design with the US Patent office depicting his Palazzo Enciclopedico (The Encyclopedic Palace), an imaginary museum that was meant to house all worldly knowledge, bringing together the greatest discoveries of the human race, from the wheel to the satellite. Auriti’s plan was never carried out, of course, but the dream of universal, all-embracing knowledge crops up throughout history, as one that eccentrics like Auriti share with many other artists, writers, scientists, and prophets who have tried - often in vain - to fashion an image of the world that will capture its infinite variety and richness." [8]

On Thursday the many Tall ships will arrive again in Den Helder. From the Sedov from Russia to the Sagres III from Portugal, they will all be there. Many of the vessels can be visited during those days and there will be many activities in and around the port of Den Helder full program [9]

May

More than a million people and close to one hundred different brotherhoods enjoy the wonderful festive atmosphere of this pilgrimage to the village of El Rocio. The celebration combines religion and fiesta, and is held 50 days after Easter. Hundreds of thousands of people come from all over Spain, and even abroad, to make this annual pilgrimage to the Blanca Paloma Shrine in the village of El Rocío, 17 kilometres from the town of Almonte (Huelva province). [10]

Every year, they have a big Carnival in Copenhagen. It's kind of a small scale version of the big ones they have in Rio and other areas. Whereas most Carnival's have religious significance, the one in Denmark has become a festival for World Music.

The Czech Beer Festival in Prague is the largest gastronomic event in the Czech Republic, with seating for up to 10,000 visitors on long benches inside marquees. Sample 70 brands of Czech beer, sourced from large breweries, regional breweries and micro-breweries. Live bands entertain. [11]

The 102-year old Bay to Breakers 12K is one of the world’s largest and oldest footraces held annually in San Francisco. The name reflects the traditional course, which takes tens of thousands of participants from the northeast end of the downtown area near The Embarcadero (the "bay" side of the city) to the west end of the city and the "breakers" of Ocean Beach. World-class athletes compete and “fun-loving” folks flood the streets clad in everything from outrageous costumes to birthday suits—earning Bay to Breakers a reputation as the Mardi Gras of the West. Bay 2 Breakers began in 1912 to help locals get over the devastating San Fran earthquake of 1906. Almost 100 years later Bay-Breakers is the longest running footrace in the world. [12]

Vivid Sydney Festival is the largest international music and light show in the Asia-Pacific region that promises to enthrall the senses of all visitors and locals. The festival of light, music, art and ideas, Vivid Sydney Festival, transforms the city of Australia into a vibrant creative hub each year attracting thousands of visitors from all over the globe. The festival is designed to showcase the entire city as one big living canvas that runs from Hyde Park through Macquarie Street, Sydney Opera House and Circular Bay. Darling Harbour too is added in the list to host a few Vivid events. [13]

April

A release after the somberness of Semana Santa. To say this is a huge party is an understatement. Most if not all of Seville takes a weeks holiday and they plan for the Fair months in advance. The fair is close to the river and covers a huge area and contains hundreds of private and public "casetas" which are laid out to form streets. Casetas are small marquees and you can only get into the private ones if invited. The public ones are large but just as much fun. The day is naturally split in two and between noon and 8PM the streets of the fair throng with horses as riders and carriages strut their stuff dressed in traditional Spanish robes. After 8 the streets are cleared and "Calle del Inferno" comes to life which is one of the best funfairs in Europe. The Fair appeals to everything that's great about Spain - Traditional dress,Flamenco dancing, guitars, Fino, great tapas and men, women and children who dance with gusto and eat and drink the day and night away. [14]

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Rembrandt, Vermeer and other Dutch Golden Age masters, has been closed for a decade. Housed in an eccentric building designed by Pierre Cuypers, it closed in 2003 for a makeover. On 13 Apr the Rijksmuseum is finally set to reopen to the public, after a renovation that took five years longer than expected and cost nearly $500 million, tens of millions over its original budget. [16]

During this yearly event guests will be completely immersed by thousands of butterflies as they walk through the Zoo Safari Park’s Hidden Jungle aviary. The 30 species of butterflies highlighted this year will hail from Africa, Asia and Central and South America and include the zebra longwing, orange-barred tiger and Grecian shoemaker. [17]

The Hue Festival is an extraordinary cultural extravaganza of Vietnam which involves a collection of events and activities. The festival attracts millions of visitors every year making it an ideal platform for a grand social milieu. Some of its art and cultural activities are traditional concerts, dance and theatrical performances, art and calligraphy exhibitions, games, and special tour programmes to close by sites for tourists. One of the old traditions of Vietnam is ‘Kite flying’, which has been rejuvenated in the Hue Festival. Traditional kites of intricate shapes and designs fly in the sky, making the Hue City beautiful and joyful. Some people visit temples and make offerings, where traditional dances are also performed. The Hue Festival more often concludes with fireworks show. [18]

The Japan Weather Association, in its first forecast of the season, predicts this year’s cherry blossoms to open according to their average schedule in most of Japan, except for parts of Western and Central Japan where they are predicted to open earlier than usual. The opening in Tokyo is on March 25, but estimated best viewing happens April 1 to 10, according to Weathermap [20]. Kakuzan Park in Tsuyama has gained fame as one of the best place for viewing cherry blossoms with over 5,000 cherry blossom trees within and around the park. The city hosts a Cherry Blossom festival between 1-15 April [21]; Click for more about Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots.

The Bali Spirit Festival is an extensive celebration of international yoga, dance and music. It is an elevating festival which stirs up and nurtures each individual’s potential for affirmative change, within and around. If you are seeking yoga, traditional Indonesian dance and more, then the Bali Spirit Festival is just the right place for you.The festival brings distinguished yoga gurus, musicians, and dancers from different countries, together at one place. It celebrates the richness of Indonesian culture, the purity of the environment, spirit of mutual learning and cooperation, diversity and harmony between people of all nations. [22]

Colorful floats, music and Irish good cheer await you at the annual Boston St. Patrick's Day parade. The parade begins at 1:00pm at the Broadway 'T' Station and ends at Andrew Square, South Boston and will feature marching bands and pipe bands from throughout North America. The parade travels through South Boston - Boston's most Irish neighborhood. Since 1901 this parade has become a prominent part of South Boston's history. Southie's annual wearin' of the green steps off from the Broadway T Stop proceeding down West Broadway to East Broadway to East 4th, to 5th Street, and around Thomas Park. Marchers continue to Telegraph Street to Dorchester Street ending at Andrew Square. Many cities around US organize St. Patrick's Day Parades, among other NYC, Chicago, Savannah, San Francisco. [23]

The five day festival is a carnival of bonfires, fireworks, parades, shows, and other festivities, as it also celebrates the arrival of spring. Every day the day starts at 8 am sharp with a ‘wakeup call or la Desperata as it is called. Bands march down the main streets of the town and firecrackers are burned as peppy music rents the air. At 2 pm it’s time for the La Mascleta which takes place in the different neighborhoods of the city – this is a run up to the main event of Mascleta held on 19 March at the Plaça de l’Ajuntamen. Every night there are firework displays in the city and the final one on the last night is the most magnificent with firecrackers and fireworks lighting up the skies. [24]. Read more [25].

The annual rickshaw run, is the craziest way to sample authentic Vietnamese food and culture. You will be taken on a fast and furious tour of the best restaurants, markets, and hawker food. It's a six-course flying frenzy on the most environmentally sustainable transport ever invented. [26]

This one-week festival gives you an opportunity to participate in over 60 hours of yoga classes from world-class Yoga teachers. These teachers practice and teach multiple styles of yoga including Kundalini Yoga, Power Vinyasa Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and Kriya Yoga. [27]

Pilgrims gather at the third Shahi Snan in Har ki Pauri to take the Royal Bath in Ganga River

Millions of devout Hindus led by naked ascetics with ash smeared on their bodies plunged into the frigid waters of India's holy Ganges River in a ritual they believe can wash away their sins. The ceremony in the northern city of Allahabad took place on the most auspicious day of the Kumbh Mela, or Pitcher Festival, one of the world's largest religious gatherings that lasts 55 days. Over 110 million people are expected to take a dip at the Sangam, the place where three rivers — the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati — come together at the edge of this North Indian city. [28]

February 2013

The city will be transformed into a land of colorful parades, glittering ice palaces and spectacular snow sculptures. Alongside an Ice Palace Stage, Broadway-style dance shows, an international ice sculpture competition, winter camping and a snow pentathlon, the carnival will feature a host of new events and activities. [30]

Brazil’s most popular and festive holiday as well as one of the world’s biggest celebrations when the streets of Rio de Janeiro come alive with wild parties, festivals and glamorous balls. The Samba School Parade is the highlight of the four-day event. Performers, clad in ornate costumes embellished with feathers, beads and thousands of sequins, dance down the parade route alongside dazzling floats and into the Sambadrome-a dance stadium built for the event. Judges award a prize to the most spectacular group of dancers. [31]

Two week Spring festival celebrated for over 5,000 years in China. The San Francisco Chinese New Year celebration originated in the 1860's during the Gold Rush day and is now the largest Asian event in North America. The celebration includes two major fairs, the Chinese New Year Flower Fair and Chinatown Community Street Fair. All the festivities culminate with Chinese New Year Parade.

January 2013

Celebrations for the festival kick off with Festival First Night – a large scale free event in the parks, streets, and lane-lays of the city, which is an exclusive feast of music, dance, and visual spectacle on the streets. Reaching an audience of more than 200,000 people, the Festival First Night is celebrated on the first Saturday of the Festival while more free concerts await Sydneysiders and visitors on subsequent two Saturdays. The Sydney Festival creates a welcoming and unique global ambience which showcases the striking city of Sydney through a feast of world class performances in theatre, music, dance, fireworks, visual arts, and food. The peak celebrations of the festival are the Australia Day festivities on 26th January with ferry races and tall ship displays at the iconic Sydney Harbour. The festival with its wide range of free events and easy pricing policies for the shows with tickets ensures that everyone can participate in the Sydney Festival celebrations. [32]

Gujarat’s International Kite Festival is held every year in Ahmedabad. Skies above the city come alive with kites- in a hundred different colours, shapes and sizes, fluttering and darting above the rooftops, triumphantly cutting another kite’s string, and soaring way up above the earth. The Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation organises the International Kite Festival at a local stadium, where kite enthusiasts from all across the world show off their skills. [33]

The event, held since 1963, can last more than a month, depending on the weather, and attracts visitors from around the world who come to see the elaborate ice and snow sculptures. This year's 'Ice and Snow World' features majestic ice castles and sculptures of fairytale characters equipped with LED lights, bringing a colorful and warm aura to the icy wonderland. [34]